New York’s Tough Gun Laws Are Pretty Worthless: Report

July 31, 2012

Mayor Mike Bloomberg is on a crusade to rid the world of guns. Unfortunately, it’s not doing a whole lot to keep guns out of the hands of thugs in New York City, according to a recently released report from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

According to the report, 8,793 guns were seized in New York in 2011. Only 1,595 were actually purchased here.

The majority of the weapons are coming from states with less-restrictive gun laws, like Virginia, Pennsylvania and Florida — which has led to New York’s reputation as a “market state” for guns.

“We call New York a market state because it’s so highly regulated that
it’s easier to get a gun in another state and bring it back,” ATF
Group Supervisor Robert Cucinelli says.

New York’s laws on purchasing single-shot rifles or shotguns follow
federal guidelines that are similar to those of other states. However,
New York’s handgun laws are much more restrictive — the license
applications can take up to six months and require a rather thorough
vetting process.

But, as federal authorities point out, those laws do little to prevent
people from buying the more-regulated guns elsewhere and bringing them
back to New York.